Toy musical instrument



1932- R.,W. SAVIDGE TOY MUSICAL INSTRUMENT Filed June 29. 1931 2 Sheets-Sheet Ray 71 1150?) 52 A I IORNEY 1932- R. w. SAVYIDGE TOY MUSICAL INSTRUMENT 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed June 29. 1951 Patented Oct. 4, 1932 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE RAY W. SAVIDGE, OF SUNBURY, PENNSYLVANIA TOY MUSICAL INSTRUMENT Application filed June 29,

do different tunes or other like elements, to-

gether with means whereby the several musical elements may be individually operated or whereby'two of such .instruments may be simultaneously operated and also whereby the 5. speed of the shafts or rotary elements of such elements may be varied so that the tune sounds emitted therefrom may be shortened-or prolonged.

A further object is the provision of a toy m device for this purpose in which the several musical elements have their rotary parts connected by belts or pulleys that are arranged in longitudinal series and all of which are mounted on a single shaft, a motor driven shaft having a friction wheel keyed for slidable movement thereon, a carriage for the friction wheel,iand means operable for sliding and holdingthe friction wheel in contact ingengagementwith anyone or with two of 30 the belt carrying wheels.

The invention will be fully and comprehensively understood from aconsideration of the following detailed description when read in connection with the accompanying drawings which form part of the application, with the understanding. however. that the improvement is capable of extended application and is not confined to the exact showing of the drawings nor to the precise construction described and, therefore, such changes and modifications may be made therefrom as do not affect the spirit of the invention nor exceed the scope thereof as expressed .in the appended claims.

In the drawings: Figure 1 is a front elevation of the improvement.

Figure 2 isa sectional view approximate- 1y on-the line 2 2 of Figure 1.

1931. Serial No. 547 7-14.

Figure Sis a sectional view approximately on the line 33 of Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a sectional view approximately on the line 4-4: of Figure 2.

As disclosed by the drawings the improvement comprises a casing or cabinet 1 that M has its face provided with a preferably cylindrical openingin which is arranged a screen 2. The screen is designed to represent the horn of a radio cabinet.

In the cabinet 1 and fixed to the bottom thereof there is a substantially Ushaped bracket 3, and in the upstanding arms of this bracket there is j-ournaled a shaft 4. The shaft is provided with any'desired number of musical elements 5 that are sounded by the rotation of the shaft. The elements 5 may be of any desired type, such as those having stationary cylinders provided with an inwardly radiating series of reeds 5 of different lengths, and a drum 4 fixed on the shaft l and arranged within the cylindrical body of the instrument, and having an outstanding pin 4 provided with staggered pins to engage with the reeds when the shaft 4 is rotated. Of course, other types of elements may be employed and each element is designed, in the present instance, to represent a radio station. The shaft 4 between the elements 5 has fixed thereon pulley wheels 6 over each of which there is trained an endless belt 7 and each of these belts is trained through a central peripheral groove 8 in a roller 9. All of the rollers 9 are of the same size and corresponding in number to those of the instruments 5. All ofthe rollers are freely journaled on a single shaft 10. and the ends of this shaft are received through vertically disposed elongated bearing openings 11, in the upstanding arms 12 provided at the ends of a plate 13, which is fixed to the bottom of the cabinet 1. The ends of the shaft project through the bearing openings 11, and the said ends are contacted by the arched portions 14f arranged on the ends of arms 15 that are secured to a shaft 16 which is journaled through bearing openings in the arms 12 of the bracket member 18. On the end of one of the arched arms there is fixed a knob or handle 17 whose stud ings in the arms 12, above the rollers 9, there is a shaft 19.. The shaft throughout its length is provided with a longitudinal groove 20.

The shaft is held from longitudinal moVement by suitable means, such as disclosed by the drawings, and has on one of its ends a grooved wheel 21. Arranged for rotation on the shaft 19 there is a friction wheel 22. The periphery of the wheel 22"is preferably provided with a compressible facing, such as a thick band of rubber or the like and the shaft is provided with a key which is received in the slot 20 of the shaft 19. The

, hubs or central projecting portions on the friction wheel 22 are contacted by the arms 23 formed at the lower and bifurcated end of a carriage 24. The arms 23 are provided with round openings through which the shaft 19 freely passes, and the said carriage is formed with a transverse enlargement provided with a round bore 25 formed with a tooth or lug 26 to be received in the spiral groove 27 of ashaft 28 whose ends are also journaled throughbearing openings in the arms 12 of the bracket 13. The arms 12 have their upper ends connected by a rod 29 and the said rod passes through an opening in the upper end of the carriage 24 whereby the rod serves as a stabilizer and guide for the, carriage 24; The spirally grooved shaft 28 has fixed to one of its ends a pinion 30 and this pinion is in mesh with a toothed wheel 31 whose shaft 32 is journaled through a bearing opening in the cabinet 1. The outer end of the shaft has fixed thereon a knob or handle 33.

Fixedly supported in and preferably at the top of the cabinet 1 there is a motor 34. The motor may be of a small electric type or may be spring wound and the shaft thereof has fixed thereon a grooved wheel or pulley for an endless belt 35 which is also trained around the grooved wheel or pulley 21.

By turning the knob 33 thespirally grooved shaft 28 will be turned to cause the carriage 24 to slide along the grooved shaft 19 and to bring the friction wheel or roller 22 opposite any one or any adjacent two of the rollers 9. By operating the knob 17 the arched cam members 14 will be moved to contact with the shaft 10 to bring the said rollers 9 against the friction'wheel 22, and the force of contact between the friction wheel and rollers can be determined bythe swing of the knob or handle 17. The motor is in operation and consequently will impart a rotary motion to the shaft 19, with the result that the friction wheel will be turned and consequently will turn any one, or if desired, any adjacent two of the rollers 9 and thereby operate any one or any adjacent two of the musical elements 5. The toy will afford instructive amusement to the child who operates the same and as any desired number of musical elements 5 may be employed a great number of tunes may be played and, as stated, two of the musical elements 5 may be simultaneously operated so that tunes emitted therefrom may be blended. It is to be understood that the mechanism may be placed in the center of the cabinet, thereby allowing both ends of the cabinet for musical elements run from either side of the machine and that any of-the musical elements can be played as long as desired. The motor is of the slow running type so that ample time will be given in the sounding of any of the musical elements 5 although, as stated, this time can be regulated by the frictional engagement of the arched or cam arms 14 with the shaft 10 to regulate the frictional engagement between the rollers 9 and the friction wheel 22.

It is to be understood that the shaft 4 is stationary and is, therefore, merely a support for the musical elements 5. The finger carrying drums or like devices for operating the instruments are directly connected to the pulley wheel 6, so that each musical element will be individually sounded upon theturning of the pulley that has the belt connection therewith.

Having described the invention, I claim:

1. A musical toy including a plurality of musical elements designed to be sounded on the rotation of a part thereof, a corresponding series of grooved rollers, and belts carried by the rollers and trained over the sound imparting part of the musical elements for rotating the same when the rollers are turned, a friction wheel, motor operated means for turning the friction wheel, means for moving the rollers to bring" any one or any ad jacent two thereof to engage with the friction wheel, and means for imparting a longitudinal movement to the friction wheel and to cause the same to engage with a desired roller.

2. A musical toy including a plurality of musical elements, each having a rotary sound imparting part desi ned to operate the ele ment upon the rotation of said. part, a shaft supporting the instruments, a pulley wheel fixed on the sound imparting part of each of the elements, aseries of grooved rollers corresponding in number with those of the ele ments and having endless belts trained around the grooves and also trained around the pulley wheels, a supporting shaft for the pulley wheels, a motor operated friction wheel, means for imparting a longitudinal movement to the friction wheel to bring the same over any one or any adjacent two of the rollers and means for simultaneously swinging the rollers toward or away from the friction wheel.

3. A musical toy including a plurality of musical elements each having a rotary sound imparting part, which upon rotation will play the said element, a shaft to which the sound imparting part of the musical elements are fixed, a series of pulley wheels fixed on the shaft, a series of grooved rollers corresponding in number with those of the shaft and having endless belts trained around the adj acent grooved rollers and pulley wheels, a supporting shaft for the pulley wheels, a motor operated friction wheel, means for imparting a longitudinal movement to the friction wheel to bring the same over any one or any adjacent two of the rollers and means for simultaneously swinging the rollers toward or away from the friction wheel and for regulating the pressure between such rollers and friction wheel.

4. A musical toy comprising a cabinet, a plurality of longitudinally arranged musical elements therein designed to be sounded upon rotation of a part thereof, a shaft on which the sounding parts of the musical elements are fixed, a plurality of pulley wheels fixed on the shaft, a series of peripherally grooved rollers corresponding in number to those on the shaft and disposed adjacent thereto, endless belts trained over the grooved rollers and the pulley wheels adjacent thereto, a slidably supported shaft upon which the rollers are loosely journaled, a motor operated longitudinally grooved shaft, a friction wheel on the shaft and having a key received in the groove thereof, a carriage having a bifurcated end in contact with the opposite sides of the friction wheel and through which the grooved shaft freely passes, and said carriage having a bore with a finger therein, a spirally grooved shaft received through the bore and having its groove engaged by the finger, a guide rod for the carriage, means operated by a knob for turning the grooved wheel to impart a longitudinal movement to the carriage and a similar movement to the friction wheel to arrange the latter over any one of any adjacent two of the rollers, spring means influencing the roller shaft to bring the rollers away from the friction wheel, and knob operated cams in contact with the shaft for limiting the movement of the rollers away from the friction wheel and for likewise imparting a body movement to the shaft to bring the friction wheels against the roller at a desired or determined degree of friction.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

RAY W. SAVIDGE. 

